Hastings United's long run in the FA Cup ends on proud note despite defeat at Championship side Middlesbrough

It started against Chatham, visited Staines and Harrogate and ended in
glorious defeat at Middlesbrough. Hastings United’s FA Cup exploits will
take them to one last location, but the final instalment in their odyssey
must wait until more mundane league matters have been dealt with.

From the high of not so much the result then the performance at the Riverside, it’s back to reality on Tuesday with the visit by Wealdstone, as Sean Key’s men look to improve on a modest placing two points above relegation in the Ryman Premier League.

Given their FA Cup commitments so far this season, it’s no surprise that they have as many as six games in hand on some of their rivals, though a record of three wins in 17 matches suggest an upturn in results is required to ensure a season that has scaled such heights in knockouts isn’t tarnished by the ignominy of going down.

Besides, any kind of downward mobility would put something of a dampener on the squad’s post-season trip to Marbella, reward from the Pilot Field hierarchy for a nine-game run that has secured the club’s financial future for some time to come.

“There’s a holiday at the end of the season to Marbella or somewhere,” Bradley Goldberg, scorer of a quite stunning goal, said. He added: “It’s a reward for how far we’ve gone, thanks to the chairman, and we’ll make sure we enjoy it.” Just as they enjoyed their night out in Newcastle after a contest where they never seriously threatened to upset a side 131 places above them in the football foodchain, but nevertheless emerged with pride and credibility intact.

Goldberg, the teenage former Charlton trainee and son of one-time Crystal Palace owner Mark, added: “We put up a good fight, and when I pulled it back to 3-1 we might have nicked another but it wasn’t to be. We’re proud of what we’ve done.”

Related Articles

Middlesbrough became the first team since the Metropolitan Police in November to beat Ray’s side, courtesy of long-range efforts in each half from Merouane Zemmama, and goals to top and tail the second period from Andy Halliday and Ishmael Miller, whose early penalty was saved by Liam O’Brien.

It proved a memorable debut for Barnet’s former England Under-19 goalkeeper, who had little time to contemplate his first real taste of the FA Cup, despite being in the Portsmouth squad when they were beaten finalists three years ago.

“I got in from training on Thursday and thought I was heading for another quiet weekend doing nothing but watching the football. Then Paul Fairclough at Barnet came up to me in training and asked if I’d like to go to Hastings on loan and play against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. I couldn’t believe it.

” I had to leave my house at the crack of dawn on Friday to meet the lads at Hastings and get the coach up north.”

Sadly for the 1,068 travelling supporters - two too many, given the origin of their journey - O’Brien’s penalty save failed to prove a catalyst to further progress. He added: “I had loads of mates ringing me on Friday night, telling me Miller’s last two penalties went down his left. I don’t normally listen to them, but I did this time and saved it.”

Middlesbrough took the lead within five minutes of Miller’s weak effort, but O’Brien’s opposite number Jason Steele conceded: “I was looking down the other end, thinking their keeper’s going to be an FA Cup hero after that save.”

It didn’t prove to be the case, allowing manager Tony Mowbray to join in the applause following Goldberg’s stand-out moment, though Steele could be forgiven for not following suit.

“If you’re going to concede a goal like that, it’s best when you’re already three goals up I suppose,” the England Under-21 international added. “It was good of our fans to applaud him, but you wouldn’t find me doing that.”